Food-Grade Fire-Resistant Water Glycol Hydraulic Fluids

Fire is a serious hazard in many industrial applications requiring the use of approved fire-resistant hydraulic fluids. A subgroup of these applications are facilities for the processing of food which in addition require hydraulic fluids and other lubricants used in these facilities to adhere to specifications set down by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and enforced by the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the current requirements in the United States for food-grade fire-resistant hydraulic fluids. Water glycol type hydraulic fluids; currently the only commercial food-grade fire resistant hydraulic fluids available, are compared in properties and performance to standard water glycol hydraulic fluids used in steel making and die casting facilities.